大象传媒

Bha mi a鈥� bruidhinn, an t-seachdain sa chaidh, mun chraoibh-challtainn. Th脿inig leabhar 霉r a-mach o chionn ghoirid air a bheil Atlantic Hazel: Scotland鈥檚 Special Woodlands. Tha na 霉ghdaran, Sandy agus Brian Coppins, ag r脿dh nach eil sinn anns an fharsaingeachd a鈥� tuigsinn mar a tha na coilltean-calltainn ag obair. Tha iad gu s貌nraichte a鈥� bruidhinn mu Choilltean-calltainn a鈥� Chuain Siar 鈥� the Atlantic Hazel Woods.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha iad ag r脿dh nach eil e idir f矛or gu bi calltainn a鈥� f脿s gu n脿darrach a-mh脿in mar phreas fo dhuilleach na coille. Tha coilltean ann far as e calltainn cha mh貌r an aon chraobh annta, agus tha na Coppins dhen bheachd gu bheil cuid dhiubh air a bhith seasmhach mar sin fad ceudan bhliadhnaichean. 鈥橲 d貌cha m矛ltean bhliadhnaichean. 鈥橲 e sin rud ris an can an t-eag-e貌laiche climax vegetation. Ma dh鈥檉hanas an t-s矛de mar a tha i, chan atharraich a鈥� choille gu 矛re mh貌r sam bith. Cha tig craobhan eile a-steach airson 脿ite nan craobh-calltainn a ghabhail thairis.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Agus bidh na craobhan-calltainn a鈥� f脿s uabhasach fh猫in sean. 鈥橲 e as coireach ri sin gum bi iad a鈥� cur stocan 霉ra an-脿irde airson 脿ite na seann fheadhainn a ghabhail. Ged a tha e ro dhorch air l脿r na coille airson leigeil le craobhan 貌ga f脿s 鈥� mar an darach no a鈥� bheithe 鈥� f脿saidh a鈥� challtainn gun duilgheadas.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Chan eil an sgitheach coltach ri sin. F脿saidh an sgitheach gu tiugh agus cha bhi d脿d a鈥� f脿s fodha, oir tha e ro dhorch. Ach chan 霉raich an sgitheach e fh猫in. Bidh a鈥� chraobh a鈥� b脿sachadh an ceann 霉ine, le aois, mus bi cothrom ann do chraobhan eile f脿s air an l脿raich sin. Anns an d貌igh sin, tha a鈥� chraobh-challtainn car neo-脿bhaisteach.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥橲 e na thug air Sandy is Brian Coppins aithneachadh gun robh cuid de na coilltean-calltainn Albannach uabhasach sean gun robh iad ag obair air na crotail a tha 脿 f脿s air na craobhan. 鈥橲 e e貌laichean chrotal a th鈥� annta. Agus tha Coilltean-calltainn a鈥� Chuain Siar cudromach gu h-eadar-n脿iseanta airson na tha a鈥� f脿s annta de chrotail, fungi agus lusan an 脿irneig.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Thathar a鈥� d猫anamh dheth nach fh脿s cuid de na crotail ach a-mh脿in ann am f矛or sheann choilltean. Chan fh脿s iad far an do rinneadh preasarlach. No ann an coilltean 貌ga. Agus, leis an sin, thathar an 矛re mhath cinnteach gu bheil cuid de na coilltean Albannach cianail fh猫in sean. Bha iad ann, mar a bha fios aig ar sinnsirean, ri linn Oisein. Agus ri linn athar-san!

听听听听听听听听听听听 An ath thuras a tha sibh a-muigh ann an coille-chn貌 no coille-challtainn, tha mi airson 鈥檚 gun c霉m sibh ur s霉ilean a-mach airson fungas s貌nraichte. Tha e ruadh agus bidh e a鈥� f脿s air stocan agus geugan chraobh-calltainn. Tha e coltach ri meuran no miotag a tha a鈥� greimeachadh air a鈥� gh猫ig. 鈥橲 e hazel gloves fungus a thathar a鈥� gabhair air ann am Beurla 鈥� fungas miotag calltainn. Agus, faodaidh sibh a bhith cinnteach, ma tha am fungas sin a鈥� f脿s, gu bheil a鈥� choille gu math sean.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha Coilltean-calltainn a鈥� Chuain Siar mar ph脿irt de dh鈥櫭爎ainn a tha gann air feadh an t-saoghail. 鈥橲 e sin coilltean-uisge neo-theth nan cladaichean. Agus an se貌rsa ann an Alba is 脠irinn, 鈥檚 e Coille-uisge Cheilteach a chanas iad rithe. Nach br猫agha an t-ainm sin!

anns an fharsaingeachd: in general; a-mh脿in mar phreas fo dhuilleach na coille: only as a shrub under the woodland canopy; seasmhach fad ceudan bhliadhnaichean: stable for centuries; ma dh鈥檉hanas an t-s矛de mar a tha i: if the weather remains as it is; chan atharraich a鈥� choille: the wood will not change; airson 脿ite na seann fheadhainn a ghabhail: to take the place of the old ones; ro dhorch air l脿r na coille airson leigeil le craobhan 貌ga f脿s : too dark on the floor of the wood to allow young trees to grow; mar an darach no a鈥� bheithe: such as the oak or birch; f脿saidh an sgitheach gu tiugh agus cha bhi d脿d a鈥� f脿s fodha: the hawthorn grows densely and nothing grows under it; chan 霉raich an sgitheach e fh猫in: the hawthorn doesn鈥檛 renew itself; a鈥� b脿sachadh an ceann 霉ine: eventually dying; 鈥檚 e e貌laichean chrotal a th鈥� annta: they are lichenologists; thathar a鈥� d猫anamh dheth nach fh脿s cuid de na crotail: it鈥檚 reckoned some of the lichens will not grow; cianail fh猫in sean: extremely old; ri linn Oisein: in the time of Ossian (a long time ago); ri linn athar-san: in the time of his father (Fionn); meuran no miotag a tha a鈥� greimeachadh air a鈥� gh猫ig: fingers or a glove that is gripping the branch; coilltean-uisge neo-theth nan cladaichean: coastal temperate rainforests.听

If you have any Gaelic lore specific to the hazel tree or hazel wood, I鈥檇 love to hear from you. Dwelly鈥檚 dictionary carries some interesting terms in the light of this Litir and the previous one. The first is casan-eunain (鈥榣ittle bird鈥檚 feet鈥� which he defines as 鈥榮hoots from a hazel stump鈥�. This must refer to the early phase of the shoot 鈥� have a look at one next spring and see if you agree with the description! Two others are calbh 鈥榮hoot or rising tree, especially of hazel鈥�; this also applies to the rib of an osier basket (hazel being one of the species used in their construction). And grinne means a 鈥榖undle of hazel or other wands or withes, scraped free of bark and ready to be made into a basket or creel鈥�.

鈥橲 e na thug air X aithneachadh: what caused X to recognise.

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Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥� air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA